There are various environments wherein a plurality of different power lines, including power circuits and ground circuits, lead from different power sources, which may include different transformers, fuses and the like, to a given area for distribution thereat. Most often, a plurality of electrical connectors are used for interconnection, respectively, with the different power lines. For instance, the connectors may be provided in the form of plug-receiving receptacles and each receptacle is interconnected to an individual power line.
An example of such an environment is in the art of modular wall panel systems which divide a given area into separate or distinct work areas. All kinds of electronic equipment, such as computers, printers, heaters and the like may be employed in each work area and must be "plugged-in" to the power distribution lines. The utilization of an electrical connector for each separate power distribution line results in very cumbersome outlet configurations involving a multiplicity of receptacles or outlets and an undesirable duplicity of many of the connector components. The need for a plurality of power lines can range from the obvious necessity of preventing overloading of a given line, to the need for providing an isolated or "clean" line having an isolated ground whereby sensitive equipment such as computers or delicate sensing devices are not exposed to current spikes or impulses caused by other electrical equipment, such as a heater, being interconnected to the same power line. An example of a problem which could occur when sharing such equipment is the accidental erasure of computer data, for instance.
One of the problems in designing such power distribution systems for modular wall panels is that the various connectors, receptacles and the like are mounted in fairly restricted wire raceways of the panels with panels having different thicknesses or widths. It would be desirable to have some form of guide means to mount various components such as electrical receptacles into the raceways in panels. It would also be desirable that the guide means be useful with panels having different thicknesses or widths and to provide polarization assuring either proper orientation or assuring that only a specific component be inserted in a specific raceway location. It also is desirable to provide some form of latching means to hold the components in proper positions in the raceways. Heretofore, the very complexity of such systems have made it difficult to design simple mounting arrangements. The present invention is directed to satisfying this need and solving the various identified problems.